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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · lean · mate · wound · racket · leaves · wake · sharp

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — a partner
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lean — to bend
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — a friend
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com